The Free Press
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Thumbs down: To a large portion of society and a stunning number of Republicans who accept loopy falsehoods as facts while party leaders fail to disavow such nonsense.
A new Harris Poll found those polled who identified themselves as Republicans believe as fact: That President Obama was not born in the U.S. and so is not eligible to be president (45 percent); that Obama is Muslim (57 percent); that Obama wants to take away Americans’ right to own guns (61 percent); that Obama is doing many things Hitler did (38 percent); that Obama is the “domestic enemy that the U.S. Constitution speaks of” (45 percent); and that the president “may be the Anti-Christ” (24 percent).
It’s one thing to vehemently disagree on political issues, it’s another to disregard well-vetted facts in order to demonize.
Highway projects put people to work
Thumbs up: To Minnesota’s upcoming road construction season, a benefit to all state residents who ride around in vehicles and a well-timed stimulus for others in need of employment.
It’s a win-win summer ahead. The announcement this week that the construction season promises to be busier than ever, with more than 280 projects in the works, helps the state play catch-up after years of complaints that much-needed work had been put off (a Highway 14 bypass around Waseca is the largest project in this area).
OK, it’s a bit of a bummer for drivers in a hurry, but in the long run we’ll have better roads. Be patient, drive slowly around construction zones and be constantly on the lookout for workers. And if you need to get somewhere fast, by all means, get started early and plan ahead for alternate routes.
She keeps bowling along
Thumps up: To Bernice Ellis of Mankato who refuses to slow down. At age 90, the blind woman still bowls strikes. In a recent game she rolled a 187.
Ellis bowls on several teams, keeping her bowling skills sharp after taking up the game in 1939.
Ellis is an inspiration for anyone who ever feels too tired to get off the couch to go for a walk or throw the baseball around.
Her participation in the sport also emphasizes how important it is to stay social as we grow older. She has a circle of friends who help her by getting her to the bowling alley as well as letting her know when she’s rolled another strike. One of those fellow bowlers happens to be an 83-year-old softball player.
Not ready to be fish wrap
Thumbs down: To the Gustavus Adolphus College students who thought that hiding campus newspapers would be a good way to control flow of information.
The action followed the publication of an issue of the Gustavian Weekly that contained a story about Case Day, a tradition that encourages consuming a case of beer in 24 hours.
The students who objected to the story apparently wanted to hide it from visitors on the more public parts of campus and moved them to residence halls. One of the students said she would do it all again, calling the removal of the papers an act of protest — democracy at its finest.
Although the student may have believed in her cause, that doesn’t make it the right decision. Protecting people from information they might find unpleasant is not the essence of democracy. The article was meant to inform readers about a tradition that promotes binge drinking. The fact that such a tradition exists at the college may not be the image most students or the college wants on display, but if it does occur, it’s worth exploring — especially in light of area deaths linked to binge drinking.
The article, as well as the strong reaction to it, is a rich opportunity for the campus as well as the community at large to educate young people about the dangers of high-risk behavior and find ways to dismantle a harmful tradition.
